Posts from ‘November, 2009’

The holiday season is here and now is the time to start thinking about our gift lists! I made good inroads into mine recently at The Frick Gift Shop. This is a brilliant place to find a select group of fantastic gifts that are not only super chic and unique but also very well priced. Some of my favorite items are the Frick mansion blueprint mug and tray; the Frick collection tin plates based on Chinese and Sevres porcelain plates at the Frick (it’s no surprise these were featured in VOGUE); the wonderful coffee table book Art in the Frick Collection : Paintings, Sculpture, Decorative Arts; and the Riesener Tin Pencil Box (filled with colored pencils) with a detail on the lid of a marquetry commode made for Marie Antoinette.

Frick Plates

Frick Art Book

Frick blueprint gifts.

Frick - Antoinette pencil set.

I love that these offerings are all inspired by actual pieces from the Frick collection. So not only are you getting wonderful and well priced gifts, but your purchases help support and promote the Frick!

These and many other gifts are all available either at the gift shop or online. Also please note today -Tuesday, December 1, there is a special holiday shopping day!

After a bit of shopping I took a few moments to languor in the opulent beauty of the Frick. I’m wearing a Wedgewood blue cotton corduroy jacket,dove grey cashmere turtleneck sweater, wool/cotton check pant in grays, forest green, Wedgewood blue and black and blue sued loafers all by Gucci gray silk pocket square is Hermes.

I went to see Wes Anderson’s latest, Fantastic Mr. Fox this past weekend. It’s a beautiful old-style stop-motion animation adaptation of a Roald Dahl novel. Basically it is a lighthearted tale of a sometimes overconfident fox (voiced perfectly by George Clooney) pursued by three determined farmers. The message encapsulated in the line, “… we are all different…and that’s kind of fantastic…” really left me feeling nicely refreshed, and Anderson’s attention to endearing details made this such a complete delight to watch as well.

I was quite taken by Mr. Fox’s very sporty outfit – which it has been pointed out, resembles Anderson’s own favorite suit, but with a few select blades of wheat in the breast pocket as would be fitting for a dandy Fox! And so, with a nod to the Fantastic Mr Fox, I’m sporting a cognac micro corduroy suit by Gucci, a pale yellow cotton shirt with contrast white collar and French cuffs by Turnbull and Asser, vintage moonstone cufflinks and brown wool tweed tie from Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford brown and ivory silk glenn plaid pocket square, python belt and saddle leather tasseled loafers both by Gucci.

I’m pictured here in a spectacular mansion designed by the legendary John Russell Pope for Virginia Graham Fair Vanderbilt in the early 1930’s, which now houses the iconic Carlton Hobbs‘ exceptional collection of 18th and 19th century British and Continental antiques and art. This splendid showcase was lovingly restored to its original historical splendor by Hobbs and his longtime business partner, Stefanie Rinza, with the help of a select group of imported master craftsmen and artisans from the UK.

At times Hobbs seems more a museum curator than an antiques and art dealer – in fact Hobbs has his own research department, and absolutely every acquisition has impeccable provenance and attribution. It’s no wonder that many of Hobbs’ fine pieces have been placed worldwide in some of the most prestigious museums and private collections.

Hobbs juxtaposes works from a wide range of periods yet manages to effortlessly integrate all quite seamlessly. Needless to say, a visit to his gallery is a deeply gratifying and unforgettable aesthetic experience.

Henry Moore table (1963) at Carlton Hobbs.

Moore table top.

(above and left) Of particular note is this stunning and rare dining table. Designed by Henry Moore in 1963 for the living room of his home in Forte dei Marmi, Italy, this is the only piece of furniture ever created by Moore!

Mond by Julius Grimm 1888 at Carlton Hobbs.

“Mond” by Julius Grimm 1888 – a remarkable depiction of the surface of the full moon which mirrors the Moore table quite poetically.

“JAMES ANDREW IS THE ULTIMATE DANDY”… “GATSBY-MEETS-GUCCI STYLE…”

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